Disposable finger covers or wipes are known and used in the art for a variety of purposes. A common use of finger wipes (also know as “finger gloves” in the art) is for applying ointments, medications, alcohol, oral anesthetics, and the like, to various body parts. Such devices may also be utilized to remove various substances, such as makeup, or to clean body parts or other objects.
Finger wipes have proven particularly useful in the field of dental hygiene in that they provide a portable and efficient means for more frequent dental care, and as a cleaning device that can be easily used in public. In particular, a number of finger-mounted teeth cleaning devices have been developed that can be placed over a finger and wiped over the teeth and gums. These devices are typically small, portable, and disposable.
Examples of dental hygiene cleaning devices and finger wipes are disclosed, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,721,987 to McDevitt, et al. and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,549 also to McDevitt, et al., which are incorporated herein by reference. A dental hygiene finger device is also described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,825 to Copelan et al. Other finger-mounted teeth cleaning devices were developed to contain an elastomeric material to help prevent the device from slipping or falling off the user's finger during cleaning. Examples of such teeth cleaning devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,941 to Dunn; U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,153 to Cole; U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,764 to Kaufman et al.; and PCT Publication No. WO 95/31154 to Mittiga et al.
Finger wipes that incorporate an integral additive or composition are a convenient and desirable product. However, it may be difficult to incorporate an adequate supply of the desired composition with conventional finger wipe constructions. Consumers often resort to using multiple wipes to achieve a desired application of the composition.